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Newcastle United are set to open talks with Everton over the possibility of signing James Rodriguez, journalist Ekrem Konur has claimed. 

The lowdown

Formerly of Real Madrid and Bayern Munich, the 30-year-old moved to Goodison Park last summer on a free transfer. He enjoyed a strong debut campaign, contributing six Premier League goals and four assists to earn a squad-high WhoScored rating of 7.21.

However, the Colombian’s future is now in serious doubt following the departure of Carlo Ancelotti, who brought him to Merseyside. Indeed, The Athletic’s Patrick Boyland reported that Rodriguez will be free to leave if the ‘right offer’ comes in.

He ostensibly has only one year left on his current deal, but Everton have the option to extend it for a further 12 months. As a result, he is valued at £25.2m by Transfermarkt, a shade less than what the Magpies paid for Joe Willock.

The latest

Taking to Twitter, Konur claimed that Newcastle ‘plan to hold talks’ over a deal for the 2014 World Cup Golden Boot winner.

They will apparently be doing so ‘at Steve Bruce’s request’, with the 60-year-old seemingly sensing an opportunity to bring the Colombian to Tyneside.

The verdict

Rodriguez would theoretically become Newcastle’s highest-paid player, but not by much. He pockets £90,000 per week at Everton, slightly more than Newcastle’s top earner Joelinton (£86,500).

Wages may not be a stumbling block, but it’s still very hard to see this move materialising. The 30-year-old could be open to the possibility of remaining in England, but his ambitions surely far exceed those of Newcastle, who have finished either 12th or 13th in each of the last three seasons.

Indeed, he would have joined Everton thinking that European football was on the horizon, and so it seems unlikely that he’d be willing to settle for a likely bottom-half finish on Tyneside.

In other news, Noel Whelan has had his say on this rumoured Newcastle exit. 

Victoria’s veteran recruit Damien Wright made an impact in his first outing for the state as he grabbed four wickets to help restrict Queensland to 245 on the opening day at the Gabba

Cricinfo staff21-Oct-2008
Scorecard
Ryan Broad made the most of the chance to bat first and scored 96 © Getty Images
Victoria’s veteran recruit Damien Wright made an impact in his first outing for the state as he grabbed four wickets to help restrict Queensland to 245 on the opening day at the Gabba. The Bulls seemed set for a big total when Ryan Broad and Martin Love combined to take the score to 1 for 141 but Wright and Dirk Nannes pegged back the hosts in impressive fashion.Victoria’s captain David Hussey might have been pondering his decision to send Queensland in when Broad cruised to 96. But the loss of Broad, who edged Shane Harwood to second slip, started a mini-collapse. Wright, the former Tasmania fast bowler, picked up the prize wicket of Andrew Symonds, who was caught top-edging a hook for 26.Wright was on a hat-trick after Greg Moller fell from the next delivery, caught behind attempting to leave the ball alone. Three from three did not come Wright’s way but he did add two more victims, while Nannes finished with 4 for 45 after grabbing two of the last three wickets.Nannes had earlier ended the 127-run partnership between Love and Broad when he had Love caught on the boundary for 54. James Hopes, who is still trying to familiarise himself with his new opening role, also fell to Nannes for 4.The gremlins in the pitch were not as fierce as in the previous Sheffield Shield match at the Gabba, which was over in three days, but Victoria also battled when they faced 12.2 overs before stumps. They closed at 2 for 29 with Chris Rogers on 13 and Hussey on 4 after they lost Nick Jewell and Brad Hodge cheaply.

Leeds United have made ‘no progression’ in their efforts to sign Noa Lang, with a financial issue being the hold-up on any potential deal, a source close to the player revealed to LUFC Fanzone.

The lowdown

Lang has only been with Club Brugge permanently since July 2021, after the Belgian club opted to sign him for good following an impressive loan stay.

He has made 41 appearances in total for Club Brugge, chipping in with 18 goals and 13 assists.

Leeds United have held an interest in signing the young forward, with The Telegraph reporting that Marcelo Bielsa’s side are in the mix to land his signature.

The latest

Leeds’ potential move for Lang has made no progression though, with a ‘financial issue’ to blame according to LUFC Fanzone.

“There has been no progression in the last month regarding Leeds.

“From what I understand, there is a financial issue from inside Leeds which is why they are moving slow in the market.”

The verdict

It’ll be interesting to see whether they can reach an agreement to land his signature this summer, and you would imagine that it could be a sizeable fee involved in any potential deal.

He’s only just signed permanently for Club Brugge, and is contracted with the Belgian side until the summer of 2024, which means they’re likely to command a high price to move him on.

Lang was lauded as a ‘phenomenon’ by Belgian journalist Peter Vandenbempt back in April 2021, and it appears as though his strong performances haven’t gone unnoticed – perhaps Victor Orta and co may have to change tact and offer a player-plus-cash deal to have any hope with this one.

The first four-day Test between South Africa A and Sri Lanka A ended in a dull draw

Cricinfo staff01-Sep-2008
ScorecardThe first four-day Test between South Africa A and Sri Lanka A ended in a bat-dominated draw after both sides plundered the bowlers mercilessly at Senwes Park in Potchefstroom. There were four half-centuries and eight centuries in all while the bowlers managed to take only 16 wickets over four days.The final day began with Sri Lanka A on 640 for 5, having overhauled South Africa A’s first-innings total of 459, with Kaushal Silva batting on 53 and Dilruwan Perera on 1. The pair scored at a rapid pace, with the aim of having time to try and bowled out South Africa again, and added 109 runs in 16 overs. Perera scored 59 off 54 balls and Silva ended with 103 off 134 as Sri Lanka declared their innings on 749 for 5 with a lead of 290.Their hopes of shaking South Africa with early wickets vanished as the openers Heino Kuhn and Andrew Puttick got stuck in. Both had failed in the first innings but they made up by scoring hundreds second time around. Kuhn scored 100 off 143 balls before he was caught behind by Silva off Perera after an opening stand of 183. Puttick scored 102 and shared a partnership of 66 with Alviro Peterson before the match came to an end with South Africa A on 249 for 1.

Sky Sports journalist Michael Bridge has told Football FanCast that he’d be surprised to see Wilfried Zaha leave Crystal Palace this summer.

Palace’s talisman, who scored a career-best 11 Premier League goals last term and is already off the mark in pre-season, was the subject of interest from Tottenham and Everton earlier this summer.

Zaha has been linked away from the club in each of the previous two years, and in an interview with The Times, the 28-year-old once more expressed his desire to leave the Selhurst Park outfit this window.

With just two years remaining on his contract, Zaha could be available to sign at a cut-price, but has already knuckled down since the arrival of Patrick Vieira and looks likely to get a move.

The Eagles boss has been a busy man in the transfer window, making three impressive signings, including Joachim Andersen from Lyon.

And whilst Palace are highly unlikely to be challenging for a European place next season, Bridge reckons that the arrival of a new ambitious manager with fresh faces could meet Zaha’s demands.

He told FFC:

“I’d be very surprised to see Zaha leave, he would probably like a new challenge, but at the same time, he’s kind of got one.

“He’s got Patrick Vieira coming in, Joachim Andersen has just joined from Lyon, Olise, they want to sign more players.”

Former Bangladesh players Aminul Islam, Khaled Mashud and Mohammad Rafique have been appointed as consultants by the Bangladesh board’s Games Development committee to coach age-group and academy cricketers

Cricinfo staff02-Aug-2008Former Bangladesh players Aminul Islam, Khaled Mashud and Mohammad Rafique have been appointed as consultants by the Bangladesh board’s Games Development committee to coach age-group and academy cricketers.Aminul will work on the youngsters’ batting while Mashud will devote his energies to keeping skills and Rafique will concentrate on spin bowling techniques. Shakil Kasem, the committee chairman, said the initiative had been taken in order to make optimum use of local expertise in developing future cricketers.”Aminul, Mashud and Rafique have vast experience of playing cricket at the highest level and can pass on their knowledge to the next generation,” Kasem said.Rafique announced his retirement from international cricket only earlier this year, while Mashud last played for Bangladesh in 2007 and Aminul in 2002.

A summary of the fifth round of matches in New Zealand’s domestic one-day competition

Cricinfo staff28-Dec-2009Martin Guptill’s scintillating innings made light work of a challenging chase as Auckland cruised to a five-wicket win over Canterbury in Christchurch. Canterbury’s start was thwarted by the loss of their openers before Peter Fulton and Johann Myburgh steadied the ship with a 93-run stand. Scott Styris accounted for Fulton when he was a shot away from his half-century, but Myburgh had set his sights on a big innings. Craig McMillan provided the impetus with a typically belligerent 57 that included five fours and two sixes. The fifth wicket raised 90 in 73 balls before McMillan’s dismissal triggered a flurry of wickets that denied Canterbury the finishing flourish. Myburgh was run out off the penultimate ball of the innings for 112, setting Auckland a steep chase of 283. Guptill, however, was intent on making it a no-contest and took charge of the match with a calculated assault from which only Rob Nicol and Chris Martin escaped. Striking 20 fours and three sixes off 137 balls, Guptill put Auckland in sight of victory through useful stands with Richard Jones, Ravi Bopara and Styris, before falling for 156.While Guptill’s effort scuppered Canterbury’s chances, Central Districts faced no such problems from Otago, easing to a 59-run victory in Dunedin. The toss was one of the few things that went right for Otago, who were immediately on the back foot with Central Districts’ rapid start to the innings. Neil Wagner and Yasir Arafat engineered a strong comeback, getting three wickets for seven runs to stifle the momentum. However, their joy was short-lived as Timothy Weston and Jacob Oram rebuilt the innings with a 121-run stand that set Central Districts up for a strong finish. While both batsmen missed hundreds, the lower middle-order ensured that their work did not go to waste as Kieran Noema-Barnett, Graham Napier and George Worker pushed Central Districts to 297 before a late spark from Ian Butler bowled them out in the last over. Despite getting starts, none of the Otago batsmen were able to play the anchor role and they floundered to 125 for 5 just after the halfway mark. Butler was again in the thick of action, trying to spark a lower order revival, but steady spells by Central Districts’ back-up bowlers ensured that the script ended in their favour. Oram picked up 3 for 48 as Otago’s innings folded in the 45th over.Wellington completed a 22-run win against Northern Districts in a rain-affected encounter at Seddon Park. Kane Williamson’s 70 was the mainstay of Northern District’s innings, while Michael Parlane and Anton Devcich chipped in with useful contributions. Dewayne Bowden, Andy McKay and Paul Hitchcock took two wickets apiece to keep the score down to 223. Wellington’s chase looked to be on course when the heavens opened in the 35th over of the chase with the score on 156 for 4. Mathew Bell’s responsible 40 had taken charge of the chase when the D/L method adjudged Wellington the victor.

Teams Mat Won Lost Tied N/R Pts Net RR For Against

Auckland 5 41 0 0 17 +0.653 1306/244.41168/249.2 Central Districts 5 3 20 0 12 +0.156 1347/247.3 1289/243.5 Canterbury 4 2 2 00 9 +0.696 1143/200.0 977/194.4 Northern Districts 4 2 2 00 9 -0.218 1043/179.2 1071/177.3 Otago 4 1 3 00 4 -0.713 843/151.0 957/152.0 Wellington 4 1 3 00 4 -1.166 660/165.5 880/171.0

Crystal Palace could revive their interest in Watford winger Ismaila Sarr as they search for added attacking reinforcements.

What’s the story?

The Eagles had a £25 million bid rejected for the 23-year-old on deadline day last summer but could return with a fresh offer over the coming months, according to The Sun.

Former Reading forward Michael Olise has already arrived in south London as Patrick Vieira looks to bolster his first-team squad, with more additions expected to join him before the new season kicks off.

Imagine him and Zaha

Despite suffering relegation from the Premier League with the Hornets back in 2019/20, Sarr established a solid reputation for himself in the English game, bagging five top-flight goals and providing six assists in 28 appearances.

His impressive performances won several plaudits throughout the season, including former Manchester United defender and Sky Sports pundit Gary Neville who labelled him “special”.

Unsurprisingly, Sarr improved on those figures in the Championship last term, playing a pivotal part as Watford earned promotion back to the promised land at the first time of asking.

After notching up 23 goal contributions in the recently concluded campaign it’s easy to understand why Palace are reportedly contemplating making another bid for the Senegal international.

The capital club finished in a respectable 14th position in the Premier League standings in what was Roy Hodgson’s last season at the helm but only put the ball in the back of the net on 41 occasions.

With key creative force Eberechi Eze ruled out until the new year through injury, Vieira will be desperate to add some extra firepower to his forward line this summer.

The prospect of Sarr lining up on one wing, with Zaha on the opposite flank, is one that will surely have the club’s supporters buzzing and hoping that chairman Steve Parish gets the chequebook out.

A price tag is yet to be muted for the highly-rated youngster, but the £19.8m-rated gem wouldn’t come cheap, although, with the talent and potential he possesses, he could well be worth every penny that Watford demand.

And, in other news…Palace open talks to sign £7m prodigy who’s a “proper footballer”, he’s another Olise 

A round-up of the final day in the latest County Championship matches

Cricinfo staff09-Jun-2008First DivisionYorkshire overcame a fine century from Zander de Bruyn to record a 40-run win against Somerset at Taunton and leapfrog them to the top of the Championship. When Somerset fell to 54 for 4 early on the final day there appeared little chance of them approaching the target of 323. But Justin Langer has instilled resilience into the team, and de Bruyn set about a recovery alongside Ian Blackwell, who dominated a stand of 88 with a 72-ball 64. Matthew Hoggard made the breakthrough when Blackwell was caught behind, however Craig Kieswetter continued his productive match by adding 100 with de Bruyn. When Kieswetter was trapped lbw, Somerset needed 81. It was in the hands of de Bruyn and he reached his first Championship century off 214 balls. Partners came and went, heaping more pressure on his shoulders, and when he was bowled by Adil Rashid, Yorkshire sensed it was their game again. Tim Bresnan, impressive throughout the match, claimed the final wicket when he bowled Andy Caddick, sending Yorkshire into the big-money Twenty20 with a spring in their step.Durham fell agonisingly short of pulling off a remarkable victory as a final-wicket stand of 57, between Steve Harmison and Mark Davies, carried them to with five runs of their target against Hampshire at Chester-le-Street. “This was a massive win for us,” Hampshire captain Dimitri Mascarenhas, told the Press Association. “It would have been really tough to come back from losing that one.” The last pair came together when Paul Wiseman fell to James Tomlinson and, given their respective batting averages of nine and 11, Hampshire’s first Championship win of the season appeared a formality. But slowly and surely they chipped off the runs, going to lunch with 27 required, and it came down to single figures against Chris Tremlett and Shane Bond. However, in his last game for Hampshire, Bond had the final say, having Davies caught behind chasing a wide ball, to end with nine wickets in the match as Nic Pothas claimed his tenth catch. The home side’s hopes at the start of the day appeared to rest with Dale Benkenstein, but he fell to Bond after reaching his half-century. The contest, though, was far from over.Kent’s match against Sussex at Canterbury had long since been consigned to a battle for bonus points, and Kent edged it 10 to nine despite a late declaration from the visitors to deny them a third bowling point. None of the Sussex batsmen really dominated, but half-centuries for Murray Goodwin (50) and Carl Hopkinson (69) steadied the innings from a rocky 136 for 5. There was a rare failure for Matt Prior, who has beaten by the spin of James TredwellClick here to read John Ward’s report on the fourth day between Lancashire and Nottinghamshire at Old Trafford.

Team Mat Won Lost Tied Draw Aban Pts

Yorkshire 62 1 0 3 0 74 Somerset 6 2 1 03 0 72 Nottinghamshire 62 2 0 2 0 70 Sussex 7 1 1 05 0 68 Durham 52 2 0 1 0 57 Hampshire 6 1 1 04 0 57 Lancashire 61 1 0 4 0 57 Kent 6 1 2 03 0 56 Surrey 60 1 0 5 0 55

Second DivisionWarwickshire went top of the division with a five-wicket win over Glamorgan at Cardiff. It was a close-run thing as they only got home with 4.3 overs to spare and after a mid-innings wobble as they chased 183 in 50 overs. Ian Westwood laid the foundations with 58 before they lost three wickets in as many overs. Jim Troughton sealed the win with a six over midwicket. Chris Woakes had set them up with 5 for 59 as Glamorgan, who resumed on 221 for 4, appeared to be heading for an early defeat after losing three wickets in 24 balls. A ninth-wicket partnership of 97 between Jason Gillespie and Robert Croft gave their side a chance of salvaging a draw before Woakes returned to take his fourth and fifth wickets of the day.Rob White’s unbeaten 132 guided Northamptonshire to a six-wicket win over Gloucestershire at Wantage Road, a result which left the visitors bottom. The victory was set up by Northants’ bowlers who took the last six Gloucestershire wickets for 27 in 12 overs. David Lucas did the bulk of the damage with career-best figures of 5 for 30. Chasing 289, White and Nicky Boje, who passed 500 runs for the season on his way to 59, added 146 for the fourth wicket, eased the nerves, and White raced from 50 to 100 in 34 balls as the attack tired.Click here for Jamie Alter’s take on the fourth day at Lord’s between Middlesex and Essex.

Team Mat Won Lost Tied Draw Aban Pts

Warwickshire 72 0 0 5 0 92 Leicestershire 6 2 0 04 0 76 Middlesex 62 2 0 2 0 71 Northamptonshire 6 2 2 02 0 66 Derbyshire 62 1 0 3 0 64 Essex 6 2 3 01 0 56 Worcestershire 61 1 0 4 0 55 Glamorgan 6 1 3 02 0 48 Gloucestershire 50 2 0 3 0 44

Reliable reporter Alan Nixon has claimed Celtic have been looking into a number of right-back targets, amid links to Sheffield United’s George Baldock.

The Lowdown: Ralston Hoops’ only right-back

As it stands, Anthony Ralston is the club’s only right-back on the books. Jeremie Frimpong left for Bayer Leverkusen in January, Hatem Elhamed joined Hapoel Be’er Sheva in February and loanee Jonjoe Kenny returned to Everton at the end of the previous campaign.

The Hoops recently extended Ralston’s deal for a further 12 months, and one man who has been linked with a move to Parkhead to rival him at right-back is Baldock.

The Sheffield United man is back on Celtic’s radar, however, Nixon, who writes for The Sun, has revealed the Hoops have been looking at other right-backs.

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The Latest: Nixon’s claim

Nixon answered a Celtic fan on Twitter on Friday, insisting the Blades ‘want a good offer’ to part ways with the 28-year-old.

He was then asked how much, to which Nixon said:

“It’s not fortunes… but Celtic were looking into other right-backs just in case there was more value elsewhere.”

The Verdict: McKay being smart but time is ticking

It’s good to see that Celtic CEO Dominic McKay is looking all over for full-back additions, but now is the time for the club to start acting and sealing deals.

It’s a smart call to widen their search, especially with Sheffield United wanting more than £8m for Baldock – you’d expect shrewder deals are there to be had. £8m for a player approaching his thirties and in the last year of his contract is steep.

As it stands, Ange Postecoglou will have no choice but to start Ralston against FC Midtjylland in a Champions League qualifier later this month.

Time is ticking for the Hoops to get additions through the door prior to Postecoglou’s first competitive game in charge, and the sooner they can get them, it could increase their chances of progressing in Europe.

In other news: Hoops now working on move for ‘terrific’ forward after Osaze Urhoghide deal, find out more here.